Schizotypal Personality Disorder?

Asked by Ailesor on 2019-02-18 with 1 answer:

I hear/see things that other people don’t. My family blame my overactive imagination, but I know that I’ve seen/heard things. Especially because I once a heard a man calling my name and felt his breath on my neck, even though I was alone.

I have a strong, strong belief in reincarnation, an obsession with fantasies and magic, and I do sometimes think that everyone has a supernatural ability.

I have a hard time relating to other people’s feelings and comforting them. I’ve recently been accused of being sociopathic and psychopathic by my parents. My Grandfather was a sociopath.

Sometimes when I’m alone in bed, I can feel dead family members watching over me. Also, and this has happened a few times, I watch it from across the room. I can see myself in bed with my Great Nan’s and Grandad watching over me. I had very vivid nightmares (of me being a servant to a King in a past life in a desert, of a little girl digging up her parent’s corpses) every night for a month before disappearing for four months and then coming back.

I’ve been told that I’m slightly paranoid and that I have an eccentric mind and mannerisms. I change my personality depending on who I’m with. I feel alone in a room full of people.

I feel like an outside. I feel like I’m losing my mind and when I try to talk to my family about it, they brush it off as just my imagination.

After doing a lot of online research, I’ve found that the symptoms of Schizotypal Personality Disorder fit my symptoms rather nicely. I just need a second opinion and some advice. Please can you help me??

It’s impossible to give a diagnosis over the internet. I would also advise against self-diagnosis. Mental health professionals train for years in order to provide the most accurate diagnoses and treatment. It would be best to consult a local therapist. They could thoroughly evaluate your symptoms and determine what might be wrong. Most importantly, they can develop a treatment plan to address your symptoms.

Some of the symptoms you have described may be characteristic of schizotypal personality disorder but they may also be normal for your age. In addition, some of your concerns were based upon other people’s opinions of your behavior. Presumably, these individuals were not professionally trained to evaluate behavior and thus are unreliable sources. This once again highlights the importance of meeting with professionals.

Ask your parents to assist in finding a therapist. Tell them that you wrote to us here at Psych Central and that counseling was recommended. Once you talk this over with your parents, hopefully they will assist you in finding a good therapist. I hope this helps you know how to move forward. Please take care.

Dr. Kristina Randle

Schizotypal Personality Disorder?

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Kristina Randle, Ph.D., LCSW

Kristina Randle, Ph.D., LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and Assistant Professor of Social Work and Forensics with extensive experience in the field of mental health. She works in private practice with adults, adolescents and families. Kristina has worked in a large array of settings including community mental health, college counseling and university research centers.